Carton feeding apparatus



April 22, 1952 P. J. BLAcKwELL CARTON FEEDING APPARATUS 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Original Filed May 15, 1946 April 22 1952 P. J. BLAcKwELL CARTON FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sl-IEETS-SHEET 2 Original Filed May 15, 1946 Patented Apr. 22, 1952 CARTON FEEDING APPARATUS Preston J. Blackwell, Emerson, N. J., assignor to Robert Gair Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Griginal application May 15, 1946, Serial No. 669,748. Divided and this application October 5, 1948, Serial No. 52,835

Claims.

II'his invention relates generally to an apparatus for the controlled feeding of small light containers such as erected cartons of chip board and the like, and will be found especially advantageous in connection With operations which involve testing, segregating, grading, or other handling of articles intended for reception in such containers. As a convenient example of use to which this invention may be put, I would mention the handling of eggs in a candling room, or small fruits and vegetables in a grading room, and the filling of cellular cartons with such articles as test out to an acceptable grade. The apparatus herein shown and described is one which lends itself satisfactorily for the handling of egg cartons, and it should be understood that repeated reference thereto is for illustrative purposes only.

In establishments where grading and candling operations proceed on a large scale, it is customary to provide a room for a number of operators, usually Women, who must stand continuously While performing their work. The cases of articles to be graded and packed are moved about by handlers who place the cases within reach of the graders who then remove the articles. for grading, one at a time. As each case becomes empty it must be moved or shifted to an out of the way position. IThe articles, as graded, are deposited in various cases or cartons which, when filled, must be removed from the room. The facilities provided for each of the operators are much the same; each is required to take certain steps to move into convenient position for different phases f the work; each operator must reach over frequently in order to move or grasp the articles or objects with which she is working; and each is obliged to remain standing during the entire operation. Because of these tiring and generally unsatisfactory conditions, considerable fatigue is eX- perienced during the `course of the day. Although rest periods may be provided, the quality of the Work inevitably suffers as Weariness increases. 'I'his is particularly noticeable toward the close of the day. Because of these various reasons, this type of work is not attractive, and even those who have undertaken to do it are prone to accept other employment readily, so that the labor turnover is large and' costly.

Realizing all these present-day shortcomings, I have sought by my invention to simplify, facilitate, and economize on the movements necessary in grading and segregating operations. This has involved the controlled feedingof cartons to the station where these operations take place. Among other things, a comfortable seat` is provided for the operator where she may remain continuously l while performing the necessary duties. It is to such a station, where the operator remains seated while Working, that the cartons are processionally fed, with advance of the cartons being halted or resumed according asl the controls are worked. The feeding apparatus may be arranged to serve a number of stations in a common system, with provision for each operator to direct the starting or stopping of the feed of cartons to her individual station, and without affecting the carton feed to the remaining stations in thesame system. As a result of `such a feeding system, the several operators will undergo little or no fatigue, and experience has shown that the quality of her work will be satisfactory and uniform over an extended Work day period.

To illustrate the application of my invention, as for example in the operation of egg candling and packaging, reference is .had to' the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, of two in-line candling booths served by the carton feeding apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section transversely of one of the booths, looking from a point rearwardly of the seat therein;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail in vertical section of' the carton conveyor at one of the junction points where a branch chute leads to the adjacent booth;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, in section, of the delivery end of the carton chute; and

Fig. 6 is a detail, more or less diagrammatic, of the signal system by which notice is automatically given of an approaching deficiency in the supply of cartons available for anoperator within one of the candling booths.

In the arrangement shown (Fig. 1), multiple stations are provided; that is, two or more booths are arranged in line so as to be served by a common conveyor system. Most. if not all, of the mechanism herein to be described is duplicated for each station, so that a description of but one will sufce.

Each operator will occupy a seated position directly in front of a candling light B of any approved construction. The ungraded eggs may be contained in the usual case C which may be moved endwise into the booth through :an opening I6. Each case is supported in an inclined position upon rollers 2E) so as to maintain its open upper side tilted toward the operator. To the same side of the operator as the opening i6 is another roller support 2| to receive a case D wherein may be placed collapsed llers, damaged cartons, etc. At the opposite side, i. e. to the right of the operator, is a chain conveyor 22 supported upon a framework 23 extending lengthwise of the booths. This conveyor may be utilized to remove cases containing crax and undergrades to a distant station. l

As the operation of candling proceeds, the selected eggs are deposited in separate cellular cartons F. For this purpose I provide, just forwardly of the case C, a way or trough w forming a support which extends transversely across the booth. This carton support which is inclined toward the operator may comprise a bottom 33 from which rises a slanting front wall 34 whose top edge a-t spaced points is about flush with the corresponding adjacent edge of the case C. Thisway which is of a length something greater tha-n that of two cartons is open at one end which faces a downwardly slanted runway 36 which terminates adjacent and slightly above one edge of the lower run-of a conveyor belt 38 whereon the lled cartons may be slid from time to time.

lThe-operative positions of two cartons, end to end, is immediately behind the rear Wall of the case G, below the candling light B, and spaced slightly apart to lie on opposite sides thereof (see Fig.- 2). Each carton F will then stand substantially opposite one of the two compartments of the egg case C from which the eggs are successively removed for candling. Each egg which tests up to grade may then be placed in one' of the two cart-'onsV until all the cells thereof are lled'. When this stage is reached, the two cartons may be slid endwise through the way (to the right as viewed in Fig. 2) to ride down the incl-ined runway Sii onto the conveyor belt 38 for removal to a take-off station exteriorly of the booth.

The apparatus herein disclosed is especially advantageous* when employing cellular egg cartons F which, when erected but before closing, have diverging sides a: and y extended a considerable distance above, andv outwardly from, the top of the carton cells. YAs shown inY Fig'. 3, the near one of these diverging walls (which in a later operation is folded inwardly to provide a closure, partial or complete, for the carton), extendsV upwardly to terminate about flush with the top edge of the case C so as to minimize the operators reach necessaryv for placing candled eggs inthe carton. When filled and pushed off the way on to the conveyor, empty cartons stand conveniently at handready for placement in the way so that the candling operations may proceed without interruption. This supply of waiting cartons is contained in an overhead feeding chute in conjunction with a conveyor system with which the present invention is specially concerned.

Over each carton as it stands in operative position within the way w is the delivery end 42 of a chuteY G which proceeds upwardly through a curve and then through an inclined portion 43 to join at its top with a feeding mechanism which includes a slider board 44 with opposite side walls 45Y 4extending lengthwise of the in-line booths.

lTwo of the' delivery chutes G in parallel, slightly spaced,` relation are provided so that cartons emerging from the lower ends thereof will automatically dropv into positions, on opposite sides 4 of the candling light, within the way w. Since the two chutes and the feeding mechanisms with which they are connected are identical, a description of but one will suiiice.

At the point where each chute joins with the slider board, I provide a trap door 45 which is hinged at 4l to swing from a horizontal position iush with the slider board to one which aligns with the inclined under wall of the chute G. The inclined portion 43 of the chute G is arranged at an acutev angle to the slider board 44 and to the trap door 46 thereof, when the trap door is closed and in a horizontal position. This arrangement permits the endwise movement of clusters of cartons from the slider board 44 into the overhead chute G Y without the cartons becoming wedged between the slider board and the chute. This door may be operated mechanically to move from its closed position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, where it preserves continuity with the slider board, to an open position which is indicated by broken lines. For this purpose I may employ a bracket 48 depending from the trap door, and in pivotal connection therewith a pair of hinged links 49 and 59,. the latter being pvotally joined to a fixed bracket 5l.

A link 52 which is pivotally joined at one end to the link 59 is also connected to the plunger 53 of a solenoid 54 which, when electrically energized through a circuit which includes the Wires m and n., will exert a pulling force on the link 50 suflicient to break the two links 49 and 5!! at their point of interconnection. The trap door 46 will thereupon be drawn down to open position against the tension of a spring 55. When the solenoid is deenergized, the spring 55exerting its-force against the link 49, will return the trap door to its closed position where it is held by the links 49 and 50 in their straight line position. This is a simple, yet effective, form of mechanism for permitting cartons advancing along the slider board 44 to continue on past the trap door when the latter is horizontally sustained, or to drop through the opening vacated by the door to enter into the chute G and descend by gravity toward the delivery end thereof.

At a point adjacent its delivery end, there is afxed across the rear wall of the chute a wedge block 56 having its maximum. width toward the bottom. On the opposite chute wall is a friction stop 5l, of rubber or the like, projecting into the chute for' varying distances in accordance with adjustments of a screw 58.VV The friction stop exerts its pressure at a point above the wedge block so that the carton therebetween will be engaged at offset places, one being opposite the cellular body and the' other opposite the free end portion of a-'dfiverging side wall of the carton. Crushing' or damage to the carton is thereby avoided. When the lowermost carton is in process of being Withdrawn,the friction stop will engage the next succeeding carton to arrest its descent priorto complete freeing of the bottommost carton', thereby preventing any accelerated movement of the carton stack which otherwise might become uncontrollable.

The erected cartons descending through the chute are in semi-nested relation, i. e. the diverging and upwardly extending sid-e walls of one cartonV receive between them the cellular body structure of the nextadjacent carton; the front and rear walls of the chute press inwardly against the side walls of each cartonv to deflect Vthe same inwardly toward the next adjacent carton. So long as thelowernost carton remains supported at the bottom end of the chute, those above will be sustained in stacked relation therewith. The constriction provided by the block 56 and the friction stop 51 is sufficient to support the bottommost carton with its body `structure depending below the bottom end of the chute. Because of this exposure the operator may conveniently seize hold of the lowermost carton to withdraw it from the chute, and when so doing the cartons thereabove will descend a distance substantially equal to the body height of the carton so removed. The obstructions placed at the bottom or the chute act to support successively each lowermost carton, thereby sustaining the entire stack within the chute.

As each carton is lled with candled eggs, it is pushed endwise through the way w down its runway 36 and onto the conveyor belt 38. Atabout the same time the operator will reach out to seize another lowermost carton in one of the overhead chutes G, which, when removed therefrom, will drop into the way w where it may be placed in the position of maximum convenience for receiving graded or candled eggs. This procedure is followed during the entire candling period so that the operator need give no concern to the supply or disposal of cartons with which she is working.

Each operator will be free within considerable limits to employ the apparatus herein disclosed in the way that best meets existing conditions or her preference as to procedure. For example, the testing of eggs may call for separation into three grades, so that the way should desirably 4accommodate a third carton F in addition to the two already noted. In such a case, the extra carton to be filled might be placed at the left end. The standard or average run of acceptable eggs will test out perhaps eight or nine times as many iirst grade eggs as those of the second grade, and an even greater ratio in relation to eggs of the third grade. In such circumstances the carton to the right would probably be used for receiving the top grade eggs since in that position, from which iilled cartons are to be moved most often, the distance to the conveyor is least and there is no interference to movement of that carton onto the conveyor at any time. For the same reason, the `chute G standing to the right will be called upon to deliver many times as many empty cartons as the companion chute to the left.

The slider board M underlies a belt 60 whose spacing above the board is slightly less than the normal full width of the empty cartons to be advanced. As shown in Fig. 4, the beltI engages the nested cartons, thereby inwardly deiiecting their diverging sides, and frictionally advancing the cartons along the slider board to their several destinations. I'his belt is mounted to travel overhead with respect to the in-line booths, being trained over a pulley 6l at the rear end, and at the forward end making an angular downturn over a pulley 62 to execute a return bend around a pulley 63 which is mounted on a suitable framework at the front end of the aligned booths. The slider board 44 also executes a bend at 64 which forms an acute angle with respect to the connecting end portion of the horizontal section of the slider board, so as to proceed downwardly, its lower end terminating close to a platform .66 which is at the delivery end of an automatic carton setting-up machine (not shown).

Vin a retracted position.

disposed above and between the others. By following this tortuous path, the inside run of the belt is maintained away from the slider board a suflicient distance for movement of cartons along the slider board while executing a change in its direction of travel corresponding in general to that of the downwardly curving slider board. The belt is sufliciently relaxed to follow a curved path, as required, while the cartons are proceeding upwardly over the curved portion of the sliderboard. A lower belt 'l0 is mounted to train over a pulley 'Il coaxial with the pulley B3, and also over a lower pulley 12 which is located close to the end of the slider board adjacent the setting-up machine platform 66. Feeding of the cartons is initiated by the lower belt from which the cartons are transferred to receive feeding engagement from the main belt 60.

` For efficient operation of the apparatus herein disclosed, I contemplate the provision of suitable controls exteriorly of the booths` at a point relatively close to the platform 6E where an attendant will regularly be stationed so as to be available to manipulate these controls, as necessary. The setting-up machine will be timed to deliver cartons in clusters ofl perhaps twenty, with a spacing of a foot or so therebetween. In case the output of the setting-up machine is too fast, its operation may be slowed down or temporarily stopped.

At a point in each chute G remote from its delivery end a distance of about ten stacked cartons, I may provide a movable iinger 82 here shown as pivoted (see Fig. 6) which may be so weighted as to normally project inwardly of the chute for successive engagement with the proximate sides of each carton descending therethrough. As long as the carton stack is made up of ten or more cartons, this iinger will be held When the number of such cartons drops below ten, then the iinger is free to swing inwardly, and when in this position closes a gap in an electrical circuit through the wires s and t whereby to energize a warning signal 83 that is located in proximity to the delivery table 66. This signal will apprise the attendant at that point that an identied booth is running short of cartons. By operating a suitable control 84 to close an electrical circuit through the wires m and n which energizes the solenoid for operating a trap door, the next advancing cluster of cartons advancing along the slider board will be switched by gravity into the open chute G to replenish the low stack at that point. In this way the signal automatically given to the machine attendant will call ior action whereby a predetermined quantity of empty cartons will be fed into the low-supply chute. During this operation, the candling operator may continue uninterruptedly with her duties without any thought or attention to the problem of supply.

. It canreadily be seen that my invention greatly simplifies and expedites the operations involved in the feeding of small articles such as eggs, tomatoes, peaches, etc. to a station where they are to be handled. The conditions under which the operator must work at each station are vastly improved. It is possible for each such operator to remain seated during all of the movements which are required. The feed of empty cartons proceeds automatically from the machine which sets them up, desirably in clusters, to facilitate their movement to the supply chutes where they are stored conveniently to the several operators.

7 The work which is performed with the aid of the present feeding apparatus is accelerated and made less fatiguing since all manual operations are minimized, and this is reected in a noticeable improvement in the results obtained.

This invention was first disclosed in my ap` plication led May 15, 1946, Serial No. 669,748 entitled Art of Candling Eggs of which this casetis a division.

I claim:

1. The combination with a work station including a support for a carton, of an overhead chute through which a supply of cartons are gravity fed to a point above the' support, a slider board extended obliquely upwardly and thence through a curve and horizontally over and connected with the chute, there being an opening in the slider board in communication with the chuteV where the chute connects therewith, and means for advancing. a batch of nested cartonsobliquely upwardly, thence horizontally,v and then downwardly by gravity into the' chute comprising a conveyor belt having its inner and under run proximate Yto the slider board for engaging frictionally with a batch of cartons positioned thereon to advance the same slidingly along. the board and into the chute through the opening in the slider board, and a plurality of rollers around which the lower run of the belt is required to pass when executing a change in its direction of movement at the curve of the slider board, the rollers comprising two in proximity to each other and to the slider board and a third between the other two and further removed from the slider board whereby the lower run of thebelt is maintained r by the two rollers rst named spaced from the slider board a substantially fixed distance.

2. The combination with a work station including a support for a carton, of an overhead chute through which cartons are fed downwardly to av point above the carton support, a slide-i board extending over the upper end of said chute and having an opening communicating therewith, a hinged. trap door tting over the opening and adapted when swung downwardly to enter the chute and form part thereof and to permit cartons advancing along the slider board to enter said chute through the said openingv and engage the trap door in the chute, electro-mechanical means for opening and closing the trap door, said means including a toggle link connection between the trap door and the slider board, a solenoid, a link connection between the plunger of the solenoid and one of the links of the toggle link connection, and resilient means acting to yieldably maintain the trap door in closedv position, and means for mechanically feeding cartons along the slider board to the said opening.

3. The combination with a work station including a support fora carton, of an overhead chute having connected opposite walls and an inlet and a discharge end through which a supply of nested cartonsv having opposite portions thereof in constant frictional engagement with opposite interior wall portions of the chute are fed to a point above said support, a slider board connected to said overhead chute along which nested cartons are adapted to be frictionally advanced,

said chute having an uppermost inclined sectionwhich joins said slider' board at an acute angle to allow clusters of nested cartons to be slid endwise from saidV slider board into the overhead chute without becoming wedged therebetween, means projecting interiorly of the discharge end of the chute and operable for' controlling theA removal of the cartons one at a time from the chute toward the support, and means for mechanically feeding a quantity of cartons into the chute for gravity frictional descent therein to the discharge end thereof.

4. The combination with a work station including a support for a carton, of an overhead chute having an inlet and discharge end through which a supply of nested cartons are fed to a point above the support, a slider board arranged over said'chute, said chute having an uppermost inclined section joining said slider board at an acute angle, said slider board having an opening communicating with the uppermost section of the chute, a door fitted over the opening and adapted when open to permit clusters of nested cartons advancing along the slider board to enter the chute by. engaging and sliding thereinto, and means for mechanically feeding said cartons along said slider board comprising a conveyor belt having its lower run in frictional engagement with the cartons positioned on the slider board to slidingly advance the same along the board and into the chute.

5. The oombinationiwith a work station including a support for a carton, of an overhead chute through which a supply of nested cartons is gravity fed to a point above the carton support, a slider board extending over the upper end of said chute and having an opening communicating therewith, a hinged trap door fitted over the opening in the slider board andV adapted when swung downwardly into the chute to permit cartons advancing along the slider board to enter said chute, said chute joining said slider board through a section which forms an acute angle to said slider board, whereby clusters of nested cartons may be slid from said slider board through said door and into said chute without becoming jammed, vmeans comprising a friction stop in the chute for supporting a stack of nested cartons in said chute, said friction stop being adapted to frictionally engage said cartons to be manually withdrawn, one at a time, from the chute, and means comprising an endless belt for mechanically sliding feeding cartons along the slider board to the opening.

6. The combination with a work station including' a support for a carton, oi a curved overhead chute through which cartons are fed downwardly to a point above the carton support, a horizontally arranged slider board extending over the upper end of said chute and having an opening communicating therewith, an acutely inclined slider board portion connected to said horizontal portion, a hinged trap door fitted over'the opening in said horizontal slider board portion and adapted when swung downwardly to be positioned in the chute whereby cartons advancing along the slider board engage the downwardly swung trap door and enter said chute, andmeans comprising an endless moving member for mechanically feeding cartons along the slider board to the opening. Y

7. The combination with a work station including a support for a carton, of a plurality of overhead chutes arranged side by side through each of which cartons are fed downwardly to a point above the carton support, a slider board extending over the upper ends of said chutes and having openings therein, each one of said open-- ings communicating with one of said chutes, a door tted over each of said openings and' adapted when swung open to permit cartons advancing along the .slider board' to enter theV chute through the said openings and engage the trap door, said chutes comprising integral sections for joining the same to said slider board which sections form an acute angle with said slider board, friction stop means in each of said chutes for removably supporting a stack of cartons therein, said cartons being adapted to be withdrawn, one at a time, therefrom toward said carton support, and means comprising an endless moving member for mechanically feeding cartons along said slider board to the said openings.

8. The combination with a line of work stations spaced from each other and each including a support for a carton of an overhead chute for and adjacent to each work station through which chute cartons are fed slidingly and frictionally ldownwardly to a point above the carton support. a slider board extending over the upper ends of said chutes and having a plurality of openings therein at intervals along the same, each one of said openings communicating with one of said chutes, a door tted over each one of said openings and adapted when swung open to admit cartons advancing along the slider board into the chute, said chutes comprising integral sections for joining the same to said slider board which sections form an acute angle with said slider board, electrically operated means for opening the doors in the chutes, and a conveyor belt for feeding cartons slidingly along the slider board, said belt having its lower run in frictional engagement with the cartons positioned on the slider board to advance the same along the slider board and into the chutes through the openings therein.

9. In combination, means for slidingly advancing nested cartons processionally toward a work station, a slider boarda downwardly extending chute connected with the slider board at one end through an acutely inclined section and having its other end adjacent the work station, guides associated with the slider board to confine the movement of cartons advancing therealong toward said chute, means carried by said chute for removably retaining nested cartons at the lower end thereof, and a movable endless belt one run of which is spaced from the slider board but adjacent thereto for light pressure engagement with the nested cartons resting thereon to slidingly advance the same therealong into the chute.

10. In combination, means for slidingly advancing nested cartons processionally toward a work station comprising a slider board one portion of which is curved, a chute connected with the slider board at one end through an acutely inclined section and having its other end disposed adjacent the work station, guides associated with the slider board to conne to a straight line the movement of cartons advancing therealong, and a movable endless belt one run `of which is spaced from the slider board but adjacent the face thereof and which merges with the curved portion of said slider board for light pressure engagement with the nested cartons resting thereon to slidingly advance the same therealong and longitudinally of the curved portion thereof into the chute. l

PRESTON J. BLACKWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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